IRC via LinkNYC? Try irc.blitzed.org.
Connecting to IRC (Internet Relay Chat) via LinkNYC's tablet is not easy. Trust me, though. It is not worth the effort anyway.
Last Month’s LinkNYC Brick-Throwing Rampage Had Precedent
Is it possible Juan Rodriguez had done some warming up before his LinkNYC rampage last month? I captured images of at least one instance where the damage looked mighty similar to some of what Rodriguez did.
Covering Up LinkNYC Cameras? Do It With a Smile.
If you are going to cover a LinkNYC camera you might as well do it with a smile. What was this tablet-top camera's intended purpose, and what better use could it serve?
Intersection’s Other Not-So-Glamorous Headquarters
This is not 10 Hudson Yards. Intersection's LinkNYC manufacturing facility sits in a strip of land that hearkens back to what most of Long Island City used to look like. But it also has me asking why the rollout of LinkNYC kiosks has remained stalled for so many months, and if new machines are being manufactured at all.
To Whoever Gets the Job of Franchise Inspector at DoITT
In my never-ending quest for new ways to be ignored I have applied for the job of Franchise Inspector at DoITT, the City agency that administers LinkNYC and the old payphones. I don't think I have a chance, but here are some tips for whoever gets what should be my job.
One Last Thing About LinkNYC’s Bus Arrival Screens…
I don't think very many of LinkNYC's billions and billions of users give a hoot about the bus arrival content on the big screens or on the tablets. But here's my last rant about that, for now.
This LinkNYC Kiosk That Did Not Work For 3 Weeks, Now Looks Like It Is On a 1970s anti-Schwarma Wi-Fi-Based Acid Trip
Something Else LinkNYC Got Wrong Recently
LinkNYC's geo-targeted advertising did not work this time. On 33rd Street in Queens an ad appeared suggesting the nearest theater where I could see the Avengers: Endgame was on 34th Street in Manhattan.
Has Anyone Tried Using LinkNYC’s “Local Bus Arrivals” Screen Lately? Or Ever?
All roads lead to Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue, according to LinkNYC. The "Local Bus Arrivals" on these kiosks have been glitched out for nearly two weeks. This raises what is, for me, an honest question: Even when these screens work as intended does anyone out there find them useful?
Seems Like A Lot Of People Don’t Get NYC’s Ban On Alcohol Advertising
Contrary to numerous reports it appears Citybridge is free to ignore the City's recent Executive Order banning advertisements for alcohol on city property.
Alcohol Ads Banned From LinkNYC Kiosks And On All City Property
I never appreciated the ads for hard alcohol and beer on the LinkNYC machines. As it turns out, neither did NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Who, Or What, Is This LinkNYC Kiosk Trying To Call?
I spotted this LinkNYC kiosk dialing numbers on its own. Sure wish I knew what numbers it dialed, or if they had any meaning. No real intrigue here, though. I suspect it's just more Smart City Fail®.
LinkNYC: City of the Presen(*DERF!)
New York City is the City of the Presen(DERF!)
LinkNYC Herald Square. Securing Kiosks From Vandals With Street Vendor Tables
The recent spate of vandalism directed at LinkNYC kiosks might have a solution. Surround the kiosks with street vendor tables.
LinkNYC, Maybe Consider Turning This One Off During Construction?
Ads and 3rd grade poetry must be served.
It Might Be Time For LinkNYC To Fire Up That Facial Recognition Engine
Someone out there really hates the LinkNYC kiosks. Dozens of the kiosks' 55" advertising screens along 6th Avenue between 12th Street and 28th Street were smashed, some even destroyed, over the Easter weekend.
Under the El: LinkNYC vs. a Landline Payphone
How do calls made from LinkNYC machines compare to the payphones they will replace? Not so well in this example. I think the payphone wins hands down, although the location of the devices makes it a tough test for LinkNYC's fully exposed microphone and loudspeaker.
InLinkUK: They Do Smart City Things a Little Differently Across the Pond
InLinkUK says its algorithm can now detect and prevent drug-related phone calls from its kiosks. Could something similar have contained LinkNYC's Summer of Softee?
LinkNYC: Four Days in “Hang Tight!” Mode
I simply do not understand why CityBridge's "LinkNYC Kiosk Status" dataset exists, but I will continue to develop my "by the numbers" pages with a hope that its accuracy will improve.
LinkNYC’s “2rd Grade” Poetry
Where does grade school poetry fit in the context of seemingly useful content such as AP headlines, bus arrival times, and weather snapshots?
The iSpectrum: A Superior Payphone of the Future?
By today's standards the short-lived iSpectrum looks like a toy. But the ingenuity of actually upgrading existing payphone hardware instead of throwing it away is something the Smart City Could have given more consideration when it "reinvented" the payphone.
Found a Favorite LinkNYC Video
I remember as the last Gothamist piece made its way through the pipeline I kept expressing apologies to anyone who might have encountered my noise broadcasts in a disruptive way. I thought in particular of dining establishments with outdoor seating, where people sitting right next to these kiosks, pleasantly enjoying their Sunday brunch, all of…
LinkNYC: MTA Transit Info Now Blocked
It looks like CityBridge did what everyone should have expected: They blocked access to the MTA transit update website from their LinkNYC tablets. I tried from over a dozen kiosks yesterday and today, finding access to the new MYmta website unavailable from every machine. Other network-connected functions worked as expected. MTA.info now joins social media sites,…
Spying On Myself With LinkNYC
Remembering a couple of strange incidents from when I gathered audio recordings using LinkNYC's curbside microphones. In one case it felt like I was spying on myself.
LinkNYC by the Numbers
Kicking off my crunching of numbers provided by CityBridge with regard to its LinkNYC kiosks functional status. I find the numbers impossible to believe.
LinkNYC’s Shoutable App: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
A new "patent-pending" app from Intersection lets you blast customizable messages onto LinkNYC's 55" advertising screens. Reviews are good but usage so far stays pretty low.
LinkNYC on Truecaller: 29 Spam Reports and Counting
Putting all the LinkNYC machines under the same CallerID, as opposed to assigning unique numbers to each machine, increases the likelihood that all calls from the entire network will be flagged as spam.
My LinkNYC/Aunt Bertha FOIL Request Was Foiled
Intersection boasts of its WiFi usage but claims to have no records for usage of the Aunt Bertha portal on its LinkNYC kiosks.